Apparatus for playing miniature golf



I 37 kl? Sept. 30, 1969 H. E. LIPPERT 3,469,346

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF Filed March 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 1 1 11111111111 11 III] 1 I 111 r 1 I 77! IN \"ENTOR.

H. E. LIPPERT APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF- Sept. 30, 1969 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1968 IN 'ENTOR.

United States Patent 3,469,846 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF Henry E. Lippert, 130 SW. 12th St., Miami, Fla. 33130 Filed Mar. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 716,134 Int. Cl. A63b 67/02, 65/12 US. Cl. 273--176 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tripod supported rotatable turret mounts a gun which has its trigger operatively connected to a golf club pivotally carried by the turret and adapted to drive golf balls to the guns point of aim. The point of aim may he an inclined surface including apertures simulating the different holes of a golf course.

This invention relates to a miniature golf game that can be played indoors as well as outdoors.

When the rules of the game are followed, nine holes of golf can be played in the comparatively small space of approximately three feet by nine feet. Each hole played varies in degree of difliculty.

A player of the game aims a gun at the hole he desires to make. He pulls the trigger of the gun and a golf ball is discharged toward the hole at which the gun is pointed.

The game comprises primarily, a ball Discharger and a ball Receiver. The Discharger includes a club hung from a tripod stand, and a gun mounted on the stand, the gun having a trigger connected to the upper end of the club. A pull on the trigger by a player of the game, will swing the club to strike a ball placed a few inches in front of the club.

The Receiver has a slightly inclined surface with three holes therein and a front edge about normal to the path of the ball. Each of the three holes is located a different distance from the Receivers front edge. The front edge of the Receiver is placed about four feet from the Discharger, and after the three holes are made by a player, the Receiver is spaced one foot further away from the Discharger. After the second set of three holes is made by the player, the Receiver is again spaced one foot further away from the Discharger for the final set of three holes.

The foregoing is the general idea of the game, but many variations can be made with it.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part hereof:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the Discharger with parts broken away for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view of the Discharger taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the Receiver.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the Receiver taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, but drawn to a larger scale.

The Receiver 1 is approximately two by three feet in size, and a few inches high. It has a slightly inclined surface 2 and a straight front edge 3. Holes 4, 5 and 6 in the surface 2 are located at different distances from the front edge 3. Surrounding the sides and rear of surface 2 is a gutter 7 shaped and inclined to return a ball in the direction of the player of the game. The Receiver is designed so that it can be pressed or stamped from a single piece of flat material.

A Discharger 8 includes an upright stand 9' having three equally spaced legs 10 joined together at their upper ends by a circular turret base 11, which turret base has a top horizontal surface 12. A turret 13 is mounted on the ice turret base 11, in contact with surface 12, and can swing horizontally on the stand 9.

An annular flange 14 on the turret 13 retains the turret in place on the stand. The turret has a pair of spaced prongs 15 extending upwardly. An imitation gun 16, disposed between the prongs 15, is hinged at 17 to the prongs, and the gun can move in a vertical plane. A club 18 passes through the turret base 11 and the turret 13, and is pivoted at 19 to the prongs 15 of the turret, so that the club can swing in a vertical plane. The forward position of the club is shown in dotted lines at 18A. The club has a head 20 at its lower end and an extension or handle 21 at its upper end, above the pivot 19.

The center portion of gun 16 has at its underside, a recess 22 receiving a trigger 23, which trigger is hinged at 24 to the body of the gun. The rearward position of the trigger is shown in dotted lines at 23A. The club handle 21 receives a telescopically mounted part 25 that extends into the gun recess 22. A pair of links 26, within the gun recess 22, are pivoted at one end 27 to the top of part 25, and at their other end 28 to trigger 23. A pull on the gun trigger, by a player of the game, will swing the club 18, by means of links 26, and cause the club head 20 to strike a ball 29, to move the ball in the direction of the Receiver. It is preferable that the club pivot 19 be located about one-fourth the distance between the surface 12 of the turret and the pivot 27.

The turret base 11 of the stand contains a compression spring 30 within a slidably mounted plunger 31. The plunger 31 is arranged to contact club 118 and retain the club in its pre-stroke position. Spring 30 need be relatively small and only sufficient to balance the club, or counteract the overhanging weight of club head 19. The pressure applied on the club by spring 30 can be varied by turning a threaded plug 39 which backs up the spring.

A pair of spaced lugs 32 extend downwardly from the turret base 11 of the stand. A thumb screw 33 is carried by each of lugs 32. One of the screws 33 can be adjusted to limit the forward stroke of the club, and the other screw can be adjusted to limit the pre-stroke or rearward position of the club.

An internally threaded boss 34 on the underside of Receiver 1 has an adjustable screw 35, which in effect is a stub leg. Screw 35 can be turned and set, to change the slope of surface 2, so that the entire lineal edge 3 of the Receiver contacts a horizontal surface, or carpet, upon which the Receiver is placed.

To assure a satisfactory surface for the game at all times, that is, a surface upon which the golf ball will roll in a straight path, an apron 36 may sometimes be desirable. The apron extends from the Receiver to beneath the Discharger. A small round pocket 37 is provided on the apron 36 at each leg 10 of the stand 9. By inserting discs 38 of varying thicknesses into pockets 37 of the apron the surface 12 of the turret can be made level true, so the club always will swing in a vertical plane.

I claim:

1. A golf game comprising, a member for discharging a ball and a member for receiving the ball, said discharging member including a stand, a turret mounted on said stand and arranged to move horizontally, a club hinged to said turret and arranged to hang downwardly, a gun hinged to said turret and having a trigger, and means operatively connecting said trigger with the upper end of said club so that upon actuation of said trigger, said club will swing in the direction in which said gun is aimed and a ball may be driven by said club to the point of aim of said gun, and said receiving member having a surface with a hole for receiving the ball.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the receiving member has a plurality of holes, each of which is a different distance from the discharge member.

3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the gun is mounted to move in a vertical plane.

4. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the club includes a telescopic joint.

5. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for maintaining the club in the same position prior to movement of the trigger.

6. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for limiting the stroke of the club in at least one direction.

7. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the receiving member includes a gutter for returning the ball.

8. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the gun is mounted to move in a vertical plane, and the upper portion of the club includes a telescopic joint.

9. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,318,139 5/1943 Calabrese 124-7 2,719,716 10/1955 Sawtelle 273129 3,051,487 8/1962 Miller 27387.2

GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

